---o---
"Mr. Joestar!!"
Seeing Joseph's throat pierced by the blade, the audience outside the screen stared with wide eyes.
Is he dead? Is this how Joseph Joestar exits the stage?
Although they knew time stop was an unsolvable and powerful ability, the audience still held out hope that Joseph could turn the tide, relying on his intellect to defeat DIO.
But now, that seemed impossible. Joseph had clearly collapsed, and that throwing knife had indeed penetrated his throat.
The viciousness of DIO's methods far surpassed that of many villains across the multiverse. A natural-born evil, the savior of villains—DIO was more than worthy of the title.
Light Curtain Barrage
Noriaki Kakyoin: "Mr. Joestar! Dammit, has DIO really become this powerful!?"
He slammed his fist helplessly onto the ground. Kakyoin, who could only watch the video, was powerless to do anything. But even if he could enter that world, he would be no match for DIO. Beside him, Jotaro said nothing, but his fists were clenched so tightly they were white, a clear sign of his own rage. Polnareff, on the other hand, wore a grim expression, Silver Chariot already manifested behind him, the cold glint of its rapier reflecting the fire in his heart.
DIO: "Ho, so the old geezer is the first to go?"
In his dark mansion, DIO toyed with a throwing knife, a smile playing on his lips as he watched the screen with great anticipation. If he could ascend to Heaven by treading on the blood of the Joestar family, nothing could be better.
Otto Apocalypse: "Did he really die that easily? Joseph is a man blessed by fortune and fate. How could he die so easily?"
At Schicksal HQ, Otto frowned, feeling a faint sense of unease. When would DIO's much-vaunted path to Heaven finally open? Was this confrontation with Joseph and Jotaro related to his so-called ascension?
---o---
Light Curtain - The Video Continues
The blond-haired DIO, with his green heart-shaped headband, stood face to face with Jotaro.
In that moment, though neither spoke, the pressure and aura in the air clashed silently.
Clenching his fists, Jotaro looked at DIO and began to walk forward slowly, his voice filled with rage. "You bastard! DIO."
"Ho~" DIO watched the slowly approaching Jotaro with surprise, a hint of mockery in his voice. "Oh? You're approaching me? Instead of running away, you're coming right to me, DIO?"
"Even after your grandfather, Joseph Joestar, struggled to tell you the secret of my Stand, The World, like a student scrambling to finish his exam after the bell has rung?"
Jotaro ignored DIO's taunt, simply stating as he walked, "I can't beat the shit out of you without getting closer."
"Ho ho~" DIO laughed, and he too began to walk toward Jotaro. "Then come as close as you like."
They drew nearer to each other. Though it was a simple, ordinary action, the audience outside the screen felt an extraordinary pressure.
Five meters... three meters... two meters!
"ORA!!" The figure of Star Platinum suddenly manifested, lunging at DIO with a punch fueled by rage, its power imaginable.
The next instant, The World also appeared. After blocking Star Platinum's attack with its hand, it launched a kick at its leg.
THUD—
With a dull thud, the recently patched fabric on Jotaro's pant leg ripped open again, revealing a clear wound on his leg.
"Too slow, too slow," DIO mocked with a laugh. "The World is the strongest Stand. Even without stopping time, its speed and power alone surpass your Star Platinum."
Jotaro looked thoughtfully at the golden figure beside DIO, his voice low. "It seems to be the same type of Stand as my Star Platinum. Its range isn't great, but its movements are precise and powerful."
Completely oblivious to the gravity of the situation, DIO continued his taunts. "I'd love to see just how much stronger The World is than your Stand, but I already know without even trying."
"Is what you call 'trying' a gentle caress that can't even leave a proper wound? A pity about my 20,000 yen pants, though."
This time, Jotaro didn't let DIO's taunts continue, instead retorting with a calm and forceful comeback.
"Why is it that the Joestar family is always so unwilling to admit defeat?" DIO frowned with a hint of annoyance, continuing his mockery. "I'll accept your boring provocation and play with you a little longer."
The moment he finished speaking, the two Stands once again unleashed a barrage of blows against each other.
Fists rained down like a torrential storm, the speed of the rush attacks accelerating until they were nothing but a blur of afterimages.
"ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA—"
"MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA—"
The two clashed relentlessly, a flurry of phantom fists. The golden and blue phantoms each dominated one side of the screen, a symbol of their evenly matched power and speed.
To the few ordinary people and hidden Demon Slayer members watching from the sidelines, there was only the roaring sound of the air itself trembling.
In the midst of the battle, DIO and Jotaro began to "fly."
Finally, with a feint from The World that successfully deceived Star Platinum, it landed a clean punch on Star Platinum's face.
Jotaro, taking damage through his Stand, coughed up a mouthful of blood, but his expression remained resolute. It was clear such minor injuries would not stop him.
"Heheheh." DIO couldn't help but laugh at the sight. "As I thought. In terms of power and precision, my Stand, The World, is superior."
"Now I understand. I'm satisfied. Time to finish you in one go!"
"The Joestar family alone, I will exterminate without a shred of mercy!"
"ZA WARUDO! Time, stop!!"
"VMMMM—!!"
Once again, the power of time stop was unleashed. With DIO as the epicenter, the entire world instantly turned grey and white, with only the golden figure existing within it.
Not far away, Jotaro, his Stand still manifested, was frozen mid-motion, his determined expression locked in place.
"With this, the bloodline of the Joestars will finally be ended by my hand."
DIO flew in front of Jotaro, raising his hand and looking at the motionless figure with a smile. "My fated rival, farewell!"
As he spoke, DIO's hand descended, clearly intending to execute Jotaro. But at that critical moment, Jotaro's hand moved...
"!!!!"
DIO's eyes widened. He recoiled like a startled cat, staring at Jotaro in shock. "Wh-What? He just moved!!"
Not just DIO, but the entire audience outside the light curtain was stunned, not understanding what had just happened.
Looking at Jotaro's twitching fingers, DIO recalled Jotaro's earlier words.
"Star Platinum is the same type of Stand as The World?" DIO's face was a mask of disbelief, clearly unable to accept this fact.
For a moment, he didn't dare to advance and attack.
"Can this guy see me? Or did he just move his finger unconsciously?" His mind raced. Naturally cautious, DIO didn't dare to make a move.
As the five seconds ended, the monochrome world returned to its original colors.
Jotaro, without a hint of surprise, turned to face DIO, who had moved behind him.
"You can see me!" It wasn't a question, but a statement. DIO stared intently at Jotaro, but Jotaro did not answer him.
"I'm asking if you can see me, Jotaro!" DIO shouted, his voice laced with rage. He was starting to lose his patience.
"I don't know what you're talking about. I don't understand, DIO!"
In contrast to the enraged DIO, Jotaro seemed perfectly at ease as he flew up again.
DIO was infuriated by this casual demeanor. He said with a hint of anger, "Fine, it doesn't matter. In stopped time, who cares if you can see me or not!"
DIO summoned The World once more, flying low to the ground. "If you can fly freely like The World, then try moving a bit more!"
"Jotaro, show me just how powerful you are!"
As he finished speaking, DIO spread his arms and shouted, "ZA WARUDO! Stop, time!!"
Time stopped once again.
DIO approached Jotaro, but just like last time, the moment he got close, Jotaro's hand moved.
This time, however, DIO seemed to have noticed something. He extended his left hand.
"Hahahahahahaha."
DIO burst into laughter, confusing the audience. But soon, they understood why he was so amused.
DIO raised his hand, and in it, a... magnet had appeared from nowhere.
He removed the magnet and held it out toward Jotaro. The next moment, the magnet flew toward Jotaro's constantly 'twitching' hand and stuck firmly to his sleeve.
"You put a magnet on me, huh? Tch, was it during our test of strength earlier?"
DIO looked at Jotaro with a hint of a smile. "I almost fell for it. You're a cunning one."
"BUT!" DIO charged toward Jotaro, taunting, "This kind of cheap trick is proof that your Stand cannot move in stopped time!"
"This will only buy you a little more time! You're helpless! Die! Jotaro!!"
The instant The World closed in on Jotaro, Jotaro's body regained its color and, in the truest sense, moved.
The next moment, Star Platinum appeared, its fist punching straight through The World's chest.
"What!?" DIO cried out in shock. His own chest immediately spurted blood just like The World's. If not for his vampiric constitution, that blow alone would have killed him.
"This... this guy... he can actually... move! Though only for... an instant!!"
"The magnet wasn't to pretend he could move, it was to make me think he couldn't! It was a... trap... to lure me closer!"
DIO looked at Jotaro, his heart filled with rage. "To think that of all people, a descendant of Joestar would grasp the secret of my time stop so quickly!!"
In that instant, time resumed. DIO was sent flying, crashing into a nearby shop.
Jotaro collapsed to his knees, clearly still shaken. "I moved just a little. It was only for a moment, but landing one punch was my limit."
Jotaro jumped down from his high perch and looked ahead, his tone calm. "Unless I completely destroy his head, no attack will have any effect."
At that moment, the wound on DIO's body had already healed. In his hand was a woman—a clerk from the shop.
"Bastard. Looks like you've recharged your energy," Jotaro said with a frown. "Your starving stomach has been filled, I see."
"Hmph!"
DIO snorted and casually tossed the clerk aside. Then, with a sound like time stopping again, Jotaro's gaze shifted behind him. DIO was now standing on a road sign, a smirk on his face.
"In the stopped world, your eyes were following me the whole time, weren't they?"
DIO spoke with a smile, as if confirming something. "It seems you can see my every move clearly, Jotaro."
"I have you to thank for that," Jotaro replied calmly.
"Joseph performed a great service, indeed."
DIO looked at Jotaro's calm demeanor and continued, "Thanks to Joseph solving the mystery of The World's ability, you were able to realize you could move in stopped time and grasp the knack for entering my world."
The next moment, DIO used time stop again and vanished. When he reappeared, he was on top of a building.
DIO looked down at Jotaro. "And so I began to wonder, just how long can you move in the stopped world?"
"Two seconds? Three? Or could it be that you can move for five seconds just like me, but you're pretending you can't?"
"Heheheheheh... How very intriguing."
DIO's cold laughter made Jotaro's heart sink slightly. He looked up at DIO, thinking, 'This is bad. If I had a little more practice, maybe I could last longer.' But just now, moving for that one instant was his absolute limit.
Jotaro clenched his fists slightly, his tension palpable.
DIO stroked his chin, looking at Jotaro. "According to my reasoning, you should still only be able to move for an instant."
"However, since you've grasped the knack for moving in the stopped world, it would not be the act of a wise man to underestimate you and approach you carelessly again."
Jotaro's expression turned grim. He could feel that something was wrong.
"And so! Jotaro!! I've thought of a method of execution that doesn't need to account for how many seconds you can move at all!!"
As DIO finished speaking, a cluster of gleaming throwing knives appeared in his hands and on his belt.